Combination lunch box and collapsible table



Oct. 18, 1966 M. c. WHITE COMBINATION LUNCH BOX AND GOLLAPSIBLE TABLE Filed Feb. 26, 1965 United States Patent Office 3,279,399 Patented Oct. 18, 1966 3,27 9,399 COMBINATION LUNCH BOX AND COLLAPSIBLE BLE This invention relates generally to collapsible furniture such as may be conveniently fitted into an automotive vehicle and transported.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a combination collapsible table for picnicking or similar uses such as by explorers, sportsment, campers and the like and which is designed to contain various culinary utensils and food; which is readily collapsible to be fitted into a conventional automobile trunk compartment for transportation and which can be set up for use in the field or out-of-doors.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a combination collapsible table and tote bag that can be manufactured in any size for specific uses.

Still another object is to provide a combination collapsible table and tote bag wherein the table and bag may be separated and used separately.

A still further object is to provide a combination collapsible table and tote bag wherein the bag can be opened out and placed upon the reverse side of the table to serve as a cover therefor.

Another still further object is to provide a combination collapsible table and tote bag wherein the table has rigid panels which serve to protect the tote bag during transportation thereby preventing any adjacent object from crushing or otherwise damaging the contents within the tote bag.

Other objects are to provide a combination collapsible table and tote bag which is simple in design, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efiicient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the combination collapsible table and tote bag shown in a collapsed position;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and showing in phantom lines the table panels in opened out position;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective of the tote bag in opened out position and shown removed from the table, and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the table in opened out position.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the numeral refers to a combination collapsible table and tote bag according to the present invention wherein there is a table element 12 and a tote bag element 14.

The table element is comprised of a pair of broad fiat end panels 16, an intermediate narrow panel 18, and a pair of leg assemblies 20. Panels 16 are of rectangular configuration bounded by longitudinal edges 22 and 24 and side edges 26. Each panel has an inner side 28 and an outer side 30. Each panel is attached by means of hinges 32 along edge 24 to one of parallel longitudinal edges 33 of panel 18. It is to be noted that panels 16 and 18 are all of. a substantial thickness and that the hinges are attached, to pivot about an axis which is in alignment with the surface of inner sides 28 and inner side 34 of panel 18, thereby permitting hinged movement of the panels only to a degree wherein all the panels are level to each other, due to edges 32 coming into abutment with edges 24.

Each of the leg assemblies 20 includes a pair of legs 36 and brackets 40 aifixed by screws 42 to side edges 26 of panels 16. A pin 44 having an enlarged head 46 is attached to each leg 36 at an intermediate point between the upper and lower ends thereof. A bar 48 is provided with a bayonet slot 50 at each end wherein pin 44 is slidably free and held captive. It is to be noted that the bayonet slots at each end of the bar are in opposed attitude toward each other whereby the pins 44 are in similar positions of the bayonet slots when the legs are pivoted toward each other in a collapsed position or pivoted away from each other toward a vertical position as shown in FIG. 4. The bar 48, serves to provide rigidity to the table legs when in an upstanding vertical position. When the table element is thus opened out for operative use (-as shown in FIG. 4), it is to be noted that the inner sides 28 of the formerly collapsed table element now form the bottom sides of the set up table.

The tote bag element 14 is comprised of a flexible rectangular fabric panel 52 upon the perpihery of which there is sewn a fabric band 54 so as to provide thickness to the bag from a central compartment 56 therein.

On the periphery of the band 54 there are two opposing sets of slide fasteners 58 and 60 for sealing the bag compartment. A stiifening band 62 is attached across the center of fabric panel 52 and a plurality of screws 64 extend therethrough and are removably secured within threaded bushings 66 mounted within panel 18, thereby securing the bag element to the table element.

A plurality of straps 68 are sewn on the inner side 70 of the tote bag panel 52 and are stitched at 72, to provide -a plurality of pockets for retaining cooking or eating utensils in a neat array.

A removable U-shaped handle 74 is attached to the outerside 30 of each panel 16, by means of screws 76 threaded into bushings 78 secured into panels 16. The handles lock together by means of lock 80.

In operative use, food and cooking gear may be contained in the tote bag and the device with the table element in collapsed condition can be transported in a car trunk compartment. To use, the handle lock is unclasped and the two slide fasteners are opened to expose the bag content.

The bag element is then removed from the table element. The latter is turned over and the legs extended vertically. The tote bag can be turned over and used as a table top cover, if preferred.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it is understood that such changes will be in the spirit and scope of the present invention as is defined in the appended claims.

Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a combination collapsible table and tote bag, the combination of a table element and a tote bag element, said table element being removably secured to said tote bag element and said table element being foldable about said tote bag element to enclose said tote bag element when said table element is in collapsed position, said table element comprising a pair of broad flat end panels and an intermediate narrow panel, all of said panels being of rectangular configuration, one edge of each of said end panels being hingedly attached to one longitudinal edge of said narrow intermediate panel, and a pair of leg assemblies, one of said leg assemblies, being attached to each of said end panels, each said leg assembly comprising a pair of legs attached pivotally free at their upper end on pins afiixed on brackets attached to said end panels,

a longitudinal bar, an opposing bayonet slot at each opposite end of said bar, a pin having an enlarged head mounted on each of said legs intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof, said pin being slida-ble and held captive within one of said bayonet slots.

2. In a combination collapsible table and tote bag, the combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said tote bag comprises a rectangular fabric panel, a band sewn around the edges of said panel, two pairs of slide fastener elements sewn on the periphery edges of said band, a longitudinal central stiiiening band attached on one side of said fabric panel, a plurality of straps sewn on said side of said fabric panel sewn to form a plurality of pockets and a plurality of removable screws extending through said stiffening band and fabric, said screws being secured into bushings within said intermediate panel of said table element.

3. In a combination collapsible table and tote bag, the combination as set forth in claim 2, wherein each of said end panels has a removable U-shaped handle element and each handle element has a lock element for engaging each other to secure said handle elements together.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,543,372 6/1925 Didricksen 108-35 2,473,022 6/ 1949 Fenske 108-34 X 2,652,300 9/ 1953 Graber et al. 10893 2,673,774 3/ 1954 Prima 108-36 2,805,707 9/ 1957 Schoerrner 297139 2,903,313 9/1959 Block 108-112 X FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

G. O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A COMBINATION COLLAPSIBLE TABLE AND TOTE BAG, THE COMBINATION OF A TABLE ELEMENT AND A TOTE BAG ELEMENT, SAID TABLE ELEMENT BEING REMOVABLY SECURED TO SAID TOTE BAG ELEMENT AND SAID TABLE ELEMENT BEING FOLDABLE ABOUT SAID TOTE BAG ELEMENT TO ENCLOSE SAID TOTE BAG ELEMENT WHEN SAID TABLE ELEMENT IS IN COLLAPSED POSITION, SAID TABLE ELEMENT COMPRISING A PAIR OF BROAD FLAT END PANELS AND AN INTERMEDIATE NARROW PANEL, ALL OF SAID PANELS BEING RECTANGULAR CONFIGURATION, ONE EDGE OF EACH OF SAID END PANELS BEING HINGEDLY ATTACHED TO ONE LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF SAID NARROW INTERMEDIATE PANEL, AND A PAIR OF LEG ASSEMBLIES, ONE OF SAID LEG ASSEMBLIES, BEING ATTACHED TO EACH OF SAID END PANELS, EACH SAID LEG ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PAIR OF LEGS ATTACHED PIVOTALLY FREE AT THEIR UPPER END ON PINS AFFIXED ON BRACKETS ATTACHED TO SAID END PANELS, A LONGITUDINAL BAR, AN OPPOSING BAYONET SLOT AT EACH OPPOSITE END OF SAID BAR, A PIN HAVING AN ENLARGE HEAD MOUNTED ON EACH OF SAID LEGS INTERMEDIATE THE UPPER AND LOWER ENDS THEREOF, SAID PIN BEING SLIDABLE AND HELD CAPTIVE WITHIN ONE OF SAID BAYONET SLOTS. 